Facsimile apparatus-record mounting means



April 3, 1945. w. G. H. FINCH FACSIMILE APPARATUS-RECORD MOUNTING MEANS Original Filed Feb. lO, 1940 w UAM G. 1H

ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 3, 1945 2,372,774 ICE FACSIMILE APPARATUS-RECORD MOUNTING MEANS William G. H. Finch, Newtown, Conn., assgnor to Finch Telecommunications, Inc., Passaic, N. J., a corporation of Delaware Original application February 10, 1940, Serial No.

318,230. Divided and this application September 15, 1942, Serial No. 458,398

1 Claim.

My present invention is a division of application Serial No. 318,230, filed February 10, 1940, Patent No. 2,295,572 issued September 15, 1942, and relates to novel apparatus for and methods of transmitting and receiving facsimile signals.

More particularly, my invention relates to a novel and simplified means for mounting a sheet to be scanned by facsimile apparatus on a drum of the machine.

In the proper operation of facsimile apparatus wherein transmitting and receiving drums are used, it is essential for accurate operation of the device that the transmitting and recording sheets be securely wrapped about drums. It is also essential in high speed operation vthat the means for securing the sheets on the respective drums be simple in operation while at the same time providing a positive securement.

It is the primary object of my present invention, therefore, to provide novel means for securely wrapping a transmitting or recording sheet about the drum of a facsimile machine.

It is another object of my invention to provide novel securement means for a recording or transmitting sheet in facsimile apparatus wherein the securement means may be easily manipulated and where the same will positively hold a sheet smoothly in place on the drum.

Another object of my invention is to provide a securing or locking bar on a drumthe said bar being so arranged that it may be tilted in either direction to permit the insertion of the edge of a sheet thereunder, while at the same time it will positively secure said edge vin position when it is not tilted.

Many other objects and uses of the invention will in part be apparent and in part pointed out in the following description and drawing, in

which: y

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the mounting means of a facsimile machine.

Figures 2, 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views taken on line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Referring now to Figure 1, preferably, the apparatus comprises a cast iron base 25, upon which the parts may be securely supported and providlng suflicient stability andsteadiness for the device itself to preclude the transmission of vibrations -from various parts of the mechanism through the base to other parts thereof. y

The motor 26 is mounted on the base 25 by means of bolts 21 and is connected by the clutch 35 to the'main drive shaft 38. The drive shaft 36 carries a spiral gear 39 (and other gears for driving other parts of the mechanism not shown) which are mounted thereon lin any suitable manner and which are arranged coaxially and concentricallythex'ewith. .I

Spiral gear cooperates with a gear 42 which is mounted on the shaft 4l,which=, as'i'sseen in Figure l, drives the transmitting drum 20. Suitable housings 48 may be placed about these spiral gear and gear connections in order to, as far as possible, dust-proof the same and also in order to provide suitable bearings at 50 and 5I for the Ashaft 43.

Suitable removable cover plates may be mounted on the housing 48 by means of the screws 63 to permit access to the interior thereof for repair or replacement of any portion of the spiral gear and gear combinations.

The transmitting drum shaft 43 is rotatably carried not only in bearings 50 and 5l but also in bearing 10 in the end wall Il of 4the housing 22 and in bearing 'l2 of a rise 13 of the base 25.

Shaft 43 terminates at the opposite side of the bearing l2 in a tail stock 74 and a disk l5, the disk l5 being keyed to the shaft 43. Disk 15 carries mounted thereon for cooperating with and driving the transmitting drum 20.

'I'he transmitting drum 20 is preferably hollow, the drum having the general interior conformation shown in Figure l4 and comprising two ends and 8|, each of the ends having an indented or perforated portion 82 and 83 for cooperating with the tail stock I4 and the tail stock 90 of the securing device. The end 80 of the drum has a perforation for receiving the pin on disk l5 when the transmitting drum is mounted on the device so that the transmitting drum 20 is driven by shaft 43. The opposite end 8| is releasably supported by means of the removable tail stock 90 which engages the perforation 85|.` The removablevtail stock is mounted upon the swingable member 95.

The drive from the main shaft 36 of the motor is then completed to the transmitting drum; that is, the main shaft 36 through the worm 39 drives the gear 42 which in turn drives the shaft 43 which rotates the disk '15.

The rotation of the disk l5 communicates rotative motion to the transmitting drum 20 thus resulting in rotation of the transmitting drum in accordance with the operation of the motor. Obviously,.the transmitting drum therefore may readily be removable from the transceiver to permit wrapping of any subject matter which is to be sent thereupon and the securing of such subject matter thereupon in the manner hereinafter described. l,

After the drum is placed into the unit in the position shown inFlgure 1 the unit is ready for transmission.

jThe same type of connection may generally be utilized for the receiving drum so that it may readily be removable where desired, although this is not essential, it being necessary merely to provide means for securing the recording paper upon 4the receiving drumv without necessarily removing the receiving drum from its mounting on the device.

The transmitting drum, the synchronizin mechanisms, the scanning devices and other operative members may thus all have the form shown in the application of which this is a division.

In the proper operation of facsimile apparatus, it is essential that the transmitting and recording sheets be properly wrapped on the drums. I have here shown (in Figures 1-4) my novel method for obtaining such a proper and secure wrap- Plug.

The simplified means comprises a fastening plate 100 mounted at one portion of the periphery of the drum parallel to the axis thereof and spring held in contact with the drum by means of springs 10| `engaging the under surface of the plate '|00 at one end of the springs and engaging the rod 102 iixedly arranged within the drum at the opposite ends of the springs.

Accordingly, while the mounting plate 100 is secured to the surface of the drum the securement is a yielding one which may readily be arranged to permit a raising or sliding of the plate for the purpose of securing the sheet to be transmitted to the transmitting drum.

Pins 105, 105 project inwardly from the mountT ing plate 100 and pass through the perforations 706 in the drum into the interior of the drum. These pins may be either an integral part of the mounting plate |00 or may be secured thereto in any suitable manner'. Pins 105 are releasably held between pins 1l0 and 'li l on crank members 'H2 which are xedly mounted upon the internal shaft 102. As now will readily be seen, by reason of the flexible mounting of the securing plate 100, the plate may readily be moved in order to permit the insertion or mounting of a sheet to be transmitted upon the transmitting drum while nevertheless securely afflxing the said sheet to said transmitting drum for scanning purposes.

The procedure of mounting the transmitted sheet upon the transmitting drum may thus be greatly facilitated. Thus, as seen in Figure 3, the mounting p1ate100 may be tilted to one side and an edge 'H5 of a sheet `ll6 to be transmitted inserted thereunder. wrapped around the drum until the opposite end Ill, as seen in Figure 4, may be brought beneath the opposite edge of the mounting plate. f The mounting plate may then by finger pressure be twisted in the opposite direction and the opposite edge 1H of the transmitted sheet 1I6 be inserted beneath tlze mounting plate and secured thereby. The end result may readily be seen in Figure 2, where the transmitted sheet 1|6 is securely held in place by the mounting plate 100.

Instead of relying upon nger pressure to rotate the mounting plate from the position shown in Figure 3 to the position shown in Figure 4, the shaft 102 may readily be utilized. One end of the shaft 102 may terminate in a crank member 120. Owing to the fact that the members H2 carrying the pins 1| l are fixedly secured to the shaft 102, a slight rotation of the crank 120 in one direction will cause rotation of the plate H2 and a tilting of the pin 105 in the manner shownin Figure 4, while a rotation of the crank 120 in the opposite direction will cause a tiltin of the pin 105 in the manner shown in Figure 5 so that it will not be necessary to rely solely on finger pressure upon the mounting plate 100 in order to permit insertion of the end of the transmitted sheet, but a mere manipulation of the crank 120 for this purpose will accomplish this result.

Crank 120, of course, is so arranged within the periphery of the side of the transmitting drum that it will not interfere with any of the other mechanisms of the duplex transceiver. 'l

Obviously, of course, as hereinbefore described, the transmitting drum 20 may readily be removed to facilitate the wrapping around of any transmitted sheet which is to be sent. The same system may be applied if desired with a drum which l is to remain stationary and, if necessary, the

The sheet may then be same system may be utilized in connection with a receiving drum.

Each of the parts herein set forth has obviously been described in its preferred form and in the commercial embodiment heretofore found completely successful.

Many variations in the use and operation of my present invention should now be obvious to those skilled in the art.

While I have described the securement bar, particularly in connection with a transmitting drum, it should be obvious that the same may also be used in connection with receiving drums.

It is, of course, obvious that both transmitting and receiving drums should provide means for accurately and smoothly securing the paper thereon. However, it is absolutely essential that the transmitting mechanism securement means be absolutely fool-proof and perfect, since distortion of tlfe record to be transmitted cannot be easily corrected at the receiving end. The operator of the receiving apparatus, when he f detects a distortion of the received image, therefore, may adjust his apparatus to correct that distortion with full knowledge that the distortion is not due to a lack of smoothness or inaccuracy of securement of the transmitted record on the transmitting drum.

The mounting and securing devices themselves, as has above been pointed out, aresimple in construction so that the various portions thereof may not readily be disarranged; are rm in their securement so that any vibration or other jarring of the instrument will not tend to loosen the securement or permit the sheetvto be Jarred therefrom; and are simple in operation so that no complicated or protracted procedures need be followed to obtain a rm securement of the sheet.

Many other variations in particular portions of the device may be made and many variations v in the uses to which the device may be put should now be understood by tlfose skilled in the art.

Accordingly, I prefer to be limit i not by the specific disclosures herein but only by the appended claim. j

I claim:

In facsimile apparatus, a hollow drum, means i'or securing a sheet in wrapped engagement about said drum, said means comprising a plate mounted on the surface of said drum and extending longitudinally thereof, a shaft rotatably mounted in the interior of said drum and extending longitudinally thereof parallel to said plate. and means for tilting said plate for inserting an Vedge ot said sheet beneath the plate, said means comprising a pin depending from said plate and extending into said drum, a crank on said shaft, a pair of studs extending from said crank, said pin being engaged between said studs whereby when said crank is rotated in either di- A rection said pin will be tilted, and thereby tilt the mounting plate. Y

WILLIAM G. H. FINCH. 

